Raising Muslim Children
In the Qur’an, Allah, the Exalted, addresses all the believers saying:
” O you who have believed, save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones, over which are [appointed] angles, stern [and] severe, who do not disobey Allah in what He orders them and [who] so [precisely] what they are commanded.” Surah Al-Tahreem 66:6
And it is related that the Prophet Sall-Allahu alaihi wa sallam said:
“All of you are shepherds, and each one is responsible for his flock. A leader of people is a shepherd over this family, and he is responsible for his flock. A woman is like a shepherd over her husband’s house and children, and she is responsible for them. And a slave is a guardian of his master’s property and is responsible for it. So all of you are guardians and are responsible for your charges.” Al- Bukhari and Muslim.
Raising children is an important responsibility. As we can see from the hadith, the Prophet Sall-Allahu alaihi wa sallam described this responsibility as that of a shepherd. Just as a shepherd must be careful of the well being of his flock, parents also must be careful of the well being of their children.
Parents have to make sure that their children do not stray from the path of Allah. It is a challenge for Muslim parents to make sure their children are raised in accordance to the Qur’an and Sunnah; because it is the only way parents can save their children from the fire of Hell. The challenge of raising Muslim children in accordance to the Qur’an and Sunnah is multiplied for those Muslims who must raise children in non-Islamic environments.
Unfortunately we cannot count on the schools and teachers to educate our children Islamically. At schools and elsewhere outside the home, children constantly come into contact with materialistic world and all the problems that come with it: drugs, alcoholism, free mixing of the sexes, loose moral standards and family breakdowns. It is obvious that at school and elsewhere a Muslim child observes and is exposed to behaviors and culture quite contradictory to the orders of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet Sall-Allahu alaihi wa sallam.
That is why parents have to make sure their children get the right sort of education and guidance at home in everyday lives. Parents have to make sure they themselves live their lives accordance to the Qur’an and Sunnah so that they can be an example to their children; that is first and foremost the most effective way.
Reference:
Raising Children According to the Qur’an and Sunnah.
By: Faramars bin Muhammad Rahbar
http://iisca.org/sisters/parenting/raising?muslim?children.htm
Courtesy: www.everymuslim.co.za
